Jiandi 簡狄, the mother of the Shang's first ancestor Xie 契 (daughter of a noble called You Song 娀 and second wife of Emperor Di Ku 帝嚳), is said to have conceived when she ate a black egg that had dropped from the sky. Xie is also thought to have been a descendant of the Yellow Emperor (Huang Di, Huangdi 黃帝). The black bird seemed to have been a kind of heraldic symbol or totem animal of the Shang people. The Shang adressed their ancestors with numbers of the Celestial Stems (tiangan 天干; jia 甲 "1", yi 乙 "2", bing 丙 "3", ding 丁 "4", etc.), probably expressing kinship relation (certain royal lines expressed by certain numbers), but in the late Anyang period also bestowed to them a honorative name like Wen 文 "the Cultured", Wu 武 "the Martial". The posthumous title of the Shang rulers is Di 帝 "godlike ancestor". In oracle bone inscriptions the rulers are also posthumously adressed "Father XY" (Fu 父), "Older Brother XY" (Xiong 兄), "Second/Third/Fourth Ancestor XY" (Er/San/Sizu 二/三/四祖). See also titles of rulers. The Shang Dynasty Rulers Residences: Bo 亳 (Caoxian 曹縣/Shandong), Ao 隞 or 囂 (Yingyang 滎陽/Henan), Xiang 相 (Neihuang 內黃/Henan), Geng [Xing] 邢 or 耿 (Xingtai 邢台/Hebei or Wenxian 溫縣/Henan), Bi 庇 (Yuncheng 鄆城/Shandong), Yan 奄 (Qufu 曲阜/Shandong), Yin 殷 or called Beimeng 北蒙 (Anyang 安陽/Henan), Mo 沬 or Chaoge 朝歌 (Qixian 淇縣/Henan) First ancestor Xie 契 (son of Gao Xin [Gaoxin] 高辛, grandson of Jiao Ji [Jiaoji] 蟜極, great-grandson of Xuan Ao [Xuanao, Xuan'ao] 玄囂, and great-great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor [Huang Di, Huangdi 黃帝]; dynastic title Shang Jia [Shangjia] 上甲) son: Zhao Ming (Zhaoming) 昭明 son: Xiang Tu (Xiangtu) 相土 son: Chang Ruo (Changruo) 昌若 son: Cao Yu (Caoyu) 曹圉 son: Ming 冥 son: Zhen 振 or Wang Hai (Wanghai) 王亥 son: Wei 微 or Shang Jia Wei (Shangjia Wei) 上甲微 son: Bao Ding (Baoding) 報丁 (in oracle texts after Bao Bing) son: Bao Yi (Baoyi) 報乙 son: Bao Bing (Baobing) 報丙 son: Zhu Ren (Zhuren) 主壬 or Shi Ren (Shiren) 示壬 son: Zhu Gui (Zhugui) 主癸 or Shi Gui (Shigui) 示癸 son: Tian Yi (Tianyi) 天乙 or Da Yi (Dayi) 大乙, called Cheng Tang (Chengtang) 成湯 dynastic title {temple name} O: different title in oracle texts personal name residence reign length trad. reign time (probable reign time) Dayi 大乙 or Tian Yi 天乙 O: Tang 唐, Xian 咸 (?) His minister was Yi Yin 伊尹. Tang the Perfect (Cheng Tang) 成湯, Shang Lü 商履 Bo, later Shangyi 29 years 1766-1754 Tai Ding 太丁 O: Da Ding 大丁 Tang's oldest son, died before accession. Wai Bing 外丙 O: Bu Bing 卜丙 In oracle texts after Da Jia. Sheng 勝 Bo 2 or 3 years: 1759-1758 Zhong Ren 中壬 (or 仲任) O: Nan Ren 南壬 (?) Yong 庸 Bo 4 years: 1757-1754 Tai Jia 太甲 (or Da Jia 大甲) {Taizong 太宗} He killed the meritorious minister Yi Yin who wanted to make himself ruler. Zhi 至 Bo 12 years 1753-1721 Wo Ding 沃丁 O: Qiang Ding 羌丁 (?) Xun 絢 Bo 19 years 1720-1692 Tai Geng 太庚 (or Da Geng 大庚), also called Xiao Geng 小庚; erroneously Tai Kang 太康, Xiao Kang 小康 Bian 辨 Bo 5 years 1691-1667 Xiao Jia 小甲 Gao 高 Bo 17 years 1666-1650 Yong Ji 雍己 O: Lü Ji 呂己 (?) Dian 佃 or Zhou 伷 Bo 12 years 1649-1638 Tai Wu 太戊 (or Da Wu 大戊) {Zhongzong 中宗} O: Tian Wu 天戊, Zu Wu 祖戊 Mi 密 Bo 75 years 1637-1563 Lü Ji 呂己 (only in oracle texts; identical with Yong Ji?) Zhong Ding 中丁 (or 仲丁) O: Sanzu Ding 三祖丁 Zhuang 莊 Ao 9 years 1562-1550 Wai Ren 外壬 O: Bu Ren 卜壬 Fa 發 Ao 10 years 1549-1535 Hedan Jia 河亶甲 O: Jian Jia 戔甲 Zheng 整 Xiang 9 years 1534-1526 Zu Yi 祖乙 {Zhongzong 中宗, Gaozu 高祖} O: Xia Yi 下乙, Ru Yi 入乙 Teng 滕 Geng 19 years 1525-1507 Zu Xin 祖辛 Dan 旦 Bi 4 years 1506-1491 Wo Jia 沃甲, Kai Jia 開甲 O: Qiang Jia 羌甲, Long Jia 龍甲 Yu 踰 Bi 5 years 1490-1466 Zu Ding 祖丁 O: Xiao Ding 小丁, Sizu Ding 四祖丁 Xin 新 Bi 9 years 1465-1434 Nan Geng 南庚; erroneously: Nan Kang 南康 O: Zu Geng 祖庚 Geng 更 Bi, later Yan 6 years 1433-1409 Yang Jia 陽甲, He Jia 和甲 or 魺甲 O: Xiang Jia {象/口}甲, Fu Jia 父甲, Zu Jia 祖甲 He 和 Yan 4 years 1408-1402 Pan Geng 盤庚 O: Fu Geng 父庚, Zu Geng 祖庚, Sanzu Geng 三祖庚 Chenged the dynastic name of Shang to Yin. Xun 旬 Yan, later Yin 28 years 1401-1374 Xiao Xin 小辛 O: Fu Xin 父辛, Erzu Xin 二祖辛 Song 頌 Yin 3 years 1373-1353 Xiao Yi 小乙 O: Fu Yi 父乙, Xiaozu Yi 小祖乙, Houzu Yi 后祖乙 Jian 歛 Yin 10 years 1352-1325 Wu Ding 武丁 {Gaozong 高宗} O: Fu Ding 父丁, Zu Ding 祖丁, Houzu Ding 后祖丁, Di Ding 帝丁 Wu Ding is the first historical ruler, ca. 1150 BC; his minister was Fu Yue 傅說 Zhao 昭 Yin 59 years 1324-1266 (1238-1180) Zu Ji 祖己 or Xiao Ji 孝己 O: Fu Ji 父己, Xiong Ji 兄己, Xiao Wang 小王, Zhong Ji 中己 Probably a son of Wu Ding who did not come to the throne Zu Geng 祖庚 or Zu Kang 祖康 O: Fu Geng 父庚, Xiong Geng 兄庚 Yao 曜 Yin 11 years 1265-1259 (1179-1173) Zu Jia 祖甲, Di Jia 帝甲 O: Fu Jia 父甲 Dai 載 Yin 33 years 1258-1226 (1172-1140) Lin Xin 廩辛 or Feng Xin 馮辛 O: Sanzu Xin 三祖辛, Fu Xin 父辛, Xiong Xin 兄辛 Xian 先 Yin 4 years 1225-1220 Geng Ding 庚丁; erroneously: Kang Ding 康丁 O: Fu Ding 父丁, Gengzu Ding 庚祖丁 Ao 囂 Yin 8 years 1219-1199 (1139-1130) Wu Yi 武乙 O: Fu Yi 父乙, Wuzu Yi 武祖乙 He enfeoffed the ancestor of Zhou 周, Dan Fu 亶父, with the fiefdom of Qi 岐 Di 瞿 Yin, later Hebei, then Mo 35 years 1198-1195 (1129-1095) Wen Ding 文丁, Tai Ding 太丁 or Da Ding 大丁 O: Fu Ding 父丁, Wenwu Ding 文武丁 He imprisoned the Li Ji 季歷, the Duke of Zhou, who died in prison. Tuo 托 Yin 13 years 1194-1192 (1094-1084) Di Yi 帝乙 His oldest son, Prince Qi of Wei 微子啟 did not succeed; Prince Qi was later enfeoffed as Duke of Song 宋 by King Wu of Zhou 周武王. Xian 羨 Yin 9 years 1191-1155 (1184-1080/1060/1050) Di Xin 帝辛 King Zhou was the last depraved ruler of Shang, enticed by his consort Da Ji 妲己, daughter of the noble You Su 有蘇; he imprisoned the Viscount of the West 西伯, the father of later King Wu of Zhou. Zhou 紂 or Shou 受 Yin 52 years 1154-1123 (1060/1050-1027) Note to aggregation of names in transcription: In posthumous titles of rulers as appearing in traditional historiography, the two words are separated (Di Xin, not Dixin). The first word is often a term of kinship ("Father XY", "Older Brother XY", "Second/Third/Fourth Ancestor XY"), the second one a "number" (jia, yi, bing, ding, etc.). Sources: Chen Mengjia 陳夢家 (1955), "Shang-Yin yu Xia-zhou de niandai wenti 商殷與夏周的年代問題", in: Lishi yanjiu 歷史研究 1955, 2, pp. 53-75. [for historical dates (proved in oracle bone inscriptions)] David N. Keightley (1978). Sources of Shang History: The Oracle-Bone Inscriptions of Bronze Age China, pp. 185-186. Berkeley: University of California Press. Zhongguo da cidian bianzuan chu 中國大辭典編纂處(ed., 1936). Guoyu cidian 國語辭典, vol. 4. Beiping [Beijing]: Shangwu yinshuguan. [Rev. ed. Chongqing 1947]. [For the traditional reign dates. These can also be found in other Chinese and Western dictionaries of an older date.]

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